[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/artesia.jpg]]A LowFantasy [[ComicBook graphic novel]] written and illustrated by Mark Smylie, published by [[http://www.archaia.com/ Archaia Studios Press.]] The main character is the eponymous Artesia of Dara Dess, a warrior-queen, witch, spirit-walker and former concubine. The series details her campaigns in support of the larger Middle Kingdoms against the opposing Thessid-Golan Empire, a war long in coming due to a religious schism between the Kingdoms and the Empire.

The original 6 issue mini-series lasted from January to June, 1999. Several mini-series have followed over the years. Particularly notable due to very mature subject matter, a lack of many common Fantasy tropes, and the Technology Level is approximately that of 15th-Century Europe. The art is fully painted - no computer coloring here.

Has spawned a TabletopRPG called ''Artesia: Adventures in the Known World''. It runs on the Fuzion system, and is highly complex and detailed, making for a very rich and involved gaming experience.

----!!Tropes:

* AerithAndBob: Artesia's brothers are named Justin and Stjepan. There are characters named Wallis, Owen, and Colin, along with Daemander, Argante, and Branimir. * AmazonianBeauty: Pretty much any of the women who fight under Artesia's banner. Umasza, Samaia, Sava, Ferris, and of course Artesia herself. They are tall, muscular, attractive - and excellent combatants.* AuthorAppeal: Smylie must really like group sex. Not orgies, but straight gang bangs. * AsskickingEqualsAuthority: This is how many people gain noble titles and lands, particularly in the Highlands of Daradja.* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: Artesia declaring herself Queen of Dara Dess, after repeated urgings from her captains.* BlindSeer: The Oracle Queens of Khael are ritually blinded to gain oracular powers.* BreastPlate: In the first few issues, Artesia wore full armor on her upper body - and nothing between her tassets and greaves, showing off a lot of leg as well as leather "panties." After the ArtEvolution, this is averted. Artesia buys armor for her legs. She and other female soldiers have angular projections formed into their curaisses that obviously represent breasts - but otherwise female warriors wear more or less the same armor as their male counterparts. * TheCavalry: Quite literally, when Queen Myrina's Thulamite horse archers sweep the Imperial mounted archers to save Artesia's Blackheart foot company in a minor skirmish.* CoitusUninterruptus: In ''Artesia Afield'', the Palatian mercenary captain Daemander gives a camp follower the business in the same tent as several of his lieutenants discussing their employer - Artesia herself. It's the second kind, since the lieutenants obviously find nothing strange about Daemander's actions and don't even take any notice. He only stops pounding the girl when he detects Artesia and her two bodyguards in the tent using an invisibility spell. * CrystalDragonJesus: The Divine King, worshipped in the Middle Kingdoms.* DarkActionGirl: Artesia herself is one - she commits many morally questionable acts throughout the series and certainly doesn't shrink from violence. The entire Priesthood of Hathhalla also qualifies, being female cultists of a lion-headed war goddess. * DeadlyDecadentCourt: All of the royal courts in the Known World are this.* EveryoneIsBi: At least all the ''female'' characters seem to be. The males, on the other hand, are never shown to have any interest in each other sexually, but have no problem teaming up (even if they've never met before) to give a woman a good time.* FantasyContraception: Artesia does many impressive things and managing to not get pregnant might be the biggest one, cause this woman likes her men.* FantasyCounterpartCulture: Just enough that it's well-done, and some cultures in the Known World have no clear real-world inspiration. Those that do include the Panaghian Sea Kings (Vikings), the Kessite Khans (Mongols), Palatians and others in that part of the world (Italian and Greek city-states), and of course Daradjan Highlanders (the Scottish).* FantasyGunControl: Averted. Since the [[TechnologyLevels Technology Level]] is approximately that of late 15th-Century Europe, bombards are used as siege weapons. As of Artesia Afire they have only been mentioned, not shown.* HeelRaceTurn: Each faction in the setting has had previous alliances and works with whoever its current ruler thinks best serves the faction's interest. * ImprobableAge: Samaia, Urech the Usurper, among others.* KlingonPromotion: Common in the Highlands of Daradja - Artesia gains her crown this way. Also see AsskickingEqualsAuthority, above.* MasterSwordsman: Uros is "the best swordsman in Daradja".* NoGuyWantsAnAmazon: The men of the Middle Kingdoms are disturbed and horrified by the female warriors coming down from Daradja. They believe women belong in the home, not the battlefield.* ObviouslyEvil: Ceryx. He's perpetually dark - not dark-skinned, but actually carries darkness with him. He has sharp teeth, red eyes, chains hanging off his body, and ''bloody footprints.''* OnlySixFaces: It's more like two - one for men and one for women. Mark Smylie paints almost everything with great detail - human faces being the exception. There ''are'' certain variations, like slightly wider noses, wrinkles and scars. The only way to really tell the characters apart is hair and facial hair. With the Ensemble Cast, it sometimes makes things confusing. The old Artesia website used to have a CharacterSheet, but the new one does not.* ReallyGetsAround: Artesia has sex with no less than nine different men on-panel, several of them simultaneously. Nobody seems surprised by this, at least in the Highlands where it's accepted. In the Middle Kingdoms, where the sexually-repressed Divine King religion holds sway, not so much. * WarriorMonk: Priestesses of Hathhalla. See DarkActionGirl, above.* TheWildHunt ----